A Grade 1 Area Court sitting in Karu, Abuja, on Friday, September 8, granted bail to Blessing Ekwe of Jabba road, Kaduna State, for allegedly receiving stolen phone as gift from a friend.

The 23-year-old defendant was arraigned for dishonestly receiving the phone and for being in possession of the mobile phone suspected to have been stolen.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Hassan Ishaq, granted her bail in the sum of N200,000 with a reasonable surety in like sum.

Ishaq said the surety must be a civil servant on not be less than grade level 10 in the civil service and must submit copies of his last appointment letter, official identity card and last promotion letter.

He also said that the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and should submit drivers’ licence and passport photographs to the court.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Abdulmalik Taiwo, had told the court that the Police Force Headquarters, FCT, was notified of the matter through formal complaint of armed robbery from Abdulsalam Olalekan on June 30.

He said that Olalekan reported on June 30 that he was robbed of his car, a techno phone, a HP laptop and other valuables worth N3. 5 million along Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

He added that the police tracked the techno phone and it was found in possession of the defendant who resided in Kaduna State.

He told the court that the techno phone was part of items stolen from the complainant during the armed robbery.

He explained that during police interrogation, the defendant confessed to have received the phone as gift from Chukwuma Ekwe, her friend, noting that the offences contravenes sections 317 and 319 of the Penal code.

Taiwo also said that the matter was still being investigated by police to arrest the others whorobbed Olalekan.

After listening to the charges, the defendant pleaded not guilty and the matter was adjourned till November 16 for hearing.